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Category Archives: 1970s
International Women’s Day and the Older Woman
International Women’s Day began in the early 20th century as an observance of women’s place in the international socialist labor movement. Although rarely celebrated in the US with any force today, it sometimes gets a mention from politicians and companies … Continue reading
Mae Reeves, Queen of Hats
You might know the names of famous black fashion designers—Ann Lowe is having a moment on sewing sites right now. But how about black milliners? One the biggest names in that field is Mae Reeves (1912-2016), who ran an extremely … Continue reading
Posted in 1940s, 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990
Tagged African American, hats/headcoverings, Pennsylvania
1 Comment
Funny Hats on New Year’s Eve, 1970
I wish I had a funny hat and a collection of friends to celebrate New Year’s Eve. Given my love of champagne, or similar bubbly beverages, it is a favorite holiday of mine. At this party, sponsored by music mogul … Continue reading
Look for the Union Label across Generations
Although this is an advertisement rather than a real life snapshot, I love the contrast in clothing depicted between the generations. The Library of Congress gives the date as 1965-1980, a very big range, and I couldn’t find it reproduced … Continue reading
Sewing and Chatting, 1970
Home sewing can be an isolating activity, but not if you take your work outside. I wonder what the woman on the left is doing. Darning? Hemming? Making a couture outfit by hand? Whatever it is, she has a friend … Continue reading
Honoring Mexican American Women, 1975
This photo shows six women honored by the Mexican American Opportunity Society, a non-profit devoted to education and economic assistance in California. It began in 1963 and still exists today. What had these six women done to be honored? Were … Continue reading
Stay Cool in Summer Shorts
What’s being featured here—the woman or the frig? It must be hot, because she has on a short sleeved shirt and shorts. That’s showing a lot of skin for an older woman, at least according to fashion advisors. The clothes … Continue reading
Lucy’s Navy Blue Polka Dot Dress
In her memoir Don’t Sing at the Table (2010), the best-selling author Adriana Trigiani tells a wonderful fashion anecdote from her childhood. When she was about eleven, in the late seventies, she noticed that her maternal grandmother, Lucy, only had … Continue reading
A Dress Made from a Sari, 1971
I was lucky that a year was printed on the back of this photo, since the dress itself would have been hard to date. The TV is most likely from the sixties, but people used to keep their sets for … Continue reading
Betty Ford in Pants, 1977
You can guess by this photo that Betty Ford, First Lady of the US from 1974 to 1977, was a former dancer for Martha Graham. Apparently it was her idea to dance on the Cabinet Room table on the last … Continue reading